Distributor for stokers



Jan. 27, 1942. E A, TURNER 2,271,237

DISTRIBUTOR FOR STOKERS Filed Sept 23, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR E. ARcHER TUR/V52 A ORNEYS Jan. 27, 1942. E. A. TURNER DISTRIBUTOR FOR STOKERS 2 shee-ts-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1938 III' INVENTOR E. ARcH-,e 72/RNR BY W f A ORNEYS Patented Jan. 27, 1942 IsTATEs PATENT oFFIc DIS'TRIBUTOR FOR STOKERS U Edwin Archer Turner, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated,A a corporation of Delaware Application September 23, 1938, Serial No. 231,291

I zclaims. This invention i'relates to stokers of the type whichspread :fuel over the firebed of a furnace .from a. point above the grates.

In ;certain stokers of this type, the distribution of. fuel overthe. firebed.V is effected by means of a blastof fiuid under pressure which is directed vtoward a plate member disposed labove the origin of the b1a`st,.the fuel being delivered into the zone of, :action of the blast and propelled thereby toward; the plate member from which the fuel that strikes it rebounds and is scattered over the firebed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel distributing arrangement of the type described that will'efiiciently distribute fuel over .all parts of the firebed 'and that is simple in construction.

It is another object of theinvention to provide 'a distributing arrangement ofthe type described wherein the. Volume of. fluid pressure used to project the fuel Jis'maintained at a minimum vWhile ieifectively distributing fuel over all parts lsubstantially as described in the following speci- 'of 'the stoker as viewed along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 in 'thedirection of the arrows; and Fig. 4 is a .view in section similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the invention.

The invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in the following description as applied vto the. firebox of `a looomo-tive, but it will become apparent that the invention is equally 'adaptable to other types-of fireboxes.

In the drawings, the letter A indicates a locomotive having a boiler IO, a firebox I and a backhead E2 at the rear thereof comprising an inner sheet |3 and an outer sheet |4. The bottom of the firebox is formed by gra-tes |5 wrich support the firebed. A firing opening I' is formed in the backhead |2 above the level of the locomo'- tive cab deck 11 and also vabove the level of the grates |5.

.thereof opposite the firing opening 16.

A stoker, designated by the letter S, delivers fuel from a suitable source of supply, as from the tender fuel bin (not shown) to the firebox |2. The stoker S comprises a conduit IB extending upwardly and forwardly from beneath the cab deck 11 to the lower portion of the firing opening 16, and a casing |9 surmounting the conduit l8 having an aperture 20 at the rear A door 2| is supported from the casing 19 and forms a movable closure for the aperture 20. Fuel is conveyed forwardly and upwardly toward the firing opening |6 by a conveyor` screw 22 disposed within the conduit |8. At its lower end the screw 22 is fiexibly connected at 23 to a screw 24 which is housed within a conduit 25 leading forwardly from the tender (not shown). The conduits |8 and 25 are connected by 'a ball and socket joint 26 which provides for the necessary flexibility between the conduits during operation of the locomotive.

Fuel is conveyed by the conveyor screw 22 into the zone of action of a blast of fluid under pressure issuing from a jet head 21 and is projected -thereby toward thev underside 28 of a deflector plate 29 which extends into the firing opening IB and forwardly into the firebox At its rearward end the deflector plate' 29 is mounted upon a polygonal shaft 30 within the casing 19 and is arranged for Vertical adjustment about the axis of the shaft 3B. The' deflector plate 29 at each lateral side thereof is provided with an outwardly curved wall 3| .which serves to intercept a portion of the fuel projected upwardly by the blast issuing from'the' jet head 21, as will presently appear.

The jet' head 21 is disposed at the lower portion of the firing opening 16 and is supported on the upper forward end of the conduit |8. The jet head 21 includes a top wall 32 which forms an upward continuation of the bottom wall 33 of the conduit 18 and terminates in an edge 34 within the firing opening |6 and below the defiector plate 29. The jet head 21 also includes an upwardly directed face 35 extending downwardly and forwardly of the edge 34 and having therein a plurality of transversely spaced jet apertures 36 in communication with chambers 31 formed in the jet head. Fluid under pressure is conducted to the chambers 31 by pipes 38. The jet apertures 'are so formed that their extendd axes will intersect the defiector plate 21.

The jet head 21 has formed therewith a ledge 39 extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom in the plane of the upwardly directed face 35 to the lower marginal edge of the firing opening adjacent the inner sheet 13 of the backhead |2. The ledge 39 extends laterally substantially the width of the firing opening.

As stated before, the jet apertures 36 are spaced transversely. The blasts of pressure fluid spread as they issue from the jet apertures and intersect at a position above the upwardly directed face 35 of the jet head 21 to form a blanket-like stream of pressure fluid. Were the jet apertures 36 spaced so closely together that all the fuel passing over the edge 34 of the jet head 21 would be subjected to the blasts of fluid under pressure, an excessive volume of pressure,

fluid at high pressure Would be consumed. In the present construction the jet apertures 35 are spaced apart a sufficient distanoe so that some of the fuel passes between the blasts issuing from the jet apertures and rolls downwardly and forwardly along the ledge 39 and is scattered over the rear central portion of the -firebed. The `major portion of the fuel is struck by vthe pressure fluid blast and is projected upwardly toward the underside 28 of the defiector plate 29. As the fuel strikes the underside 28 of the plate 29, it rebounds or ricochets downwardly and forwardly for distribution over the firebed. The lateral portions of the projected fuel stream are intercepted by the outwardly curved walls 3| and defiected laterally toward the corners of the firebox. Some of the fuel, particularly that which is contacted by the outer edges of the blast where the force is not as great Will not strike the deflector plate 29 but will be projected directly into the firebox. More of the fuel can be made to strike the top deflector by lowering it about the shaft 39 without increasing the intensity of the blast. Thus fuel is projected over the entire firebed with the use of a minimum volume of pressure fluid. In stokers of the type described, the present construction permits the use of a blast of great intensity so that fuel can be projected to the forward end of the longest fireboxes, yet provides for delivery of fuel to the rear portion of the firebox, at the same time minimizing the volume of pressure fluid used.

In order that the distributing action of the head 21 and the defiector plate 29 may be observed, the rear wall 49 of the conduit 18 is provided with a recess 4| immediately below the firedoor 2|. This recess is closed by a cover 42 which is mounted upon a hinge pin 43. A spring 44 is coiled about the pin 43 with one end thereof pressing upon the cover 42 for normally retaining the latter in the position illustrated. Whenever it is desired to observe conditions within the firebox, it is only necessary to draw the cover 42 rearwardly against the pressure of the spring 44 to eXpose the recess 4| Upon releasing the cover 42, the spring M will return it to its closed position.

In Fig. 4 is shown a slightly modified form of the invention. In the modified form, the ledge 50 is detachably secured to the jet head 21 by means of threaded members passing through the rearward portion of the ledge 50 and the seat 52 instead of being formed integral with the jet head 21 as in the preferred form of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a stoker for feeding fuel to a firebox having a grate and an upright wall with a firing opening therein above the level of said grate, said stoker comprising a fuel feed conduit communicating with said opening. means ,for urging fuel through said conduit, a jet member :disposed at the lower forward end of said conduit adjacent the lower outer marginal edge of the firing opening, said jet member being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure and having a front wall provided with a plurality of upwardly inclined orifices 'for directing said fluid forwardly and upwardly against the fuel flowing over the jet member, a ledge extending forwardly and downwardly from said front wall subjacent the orifices therein to the lower inner marginal edge of the firing opening, the declination of said ledge and the inclination offisa'id jet'orifices being such that fuel passing through and 'between-the blasts of fluid under pressure issuing' from said orifices is freely' movableforwardly and' downwardly along said ledge outside: the zone' of' ac'- tion of the said blasts of fluid' under 'pressureand drops by gravity over the. forward' edge of said ledge onto the grate at the rearward'iportion vof the firebox adjacent said upri'ght wall, .and a superimposed defiector member above: said jet member and in the pathl of fuel thrown upwardly therefrom for distributing said fuel throughout the firebox.

2. In a stoker for feeding fueto a. firebox having a grate and an upright wall with a Vfiring opening therein above the level' of said grate, said stoker comprising a fuel feed conduit' communicating with said opening, means'for urging fuel through said conduit, avjet'member'disposed at the lower forward' end of' said conduitadjacent the lower outer marginal edge vof the 'firing opening, saidjet member being'adapted tof'bezcon'- nected to a source of fluid under pressure and having a front wall provided With a plurality of upwardly inclined orifices for `directingsaid fluid forwardly and upwardly' against the: fuel flowing over the jet member, a ledge extendingforwardl'y and downwardly from said front wall subjacent the orifices therein to the lower inner'marg'inal edge of the firing opening,.saidledge'extending laterally substantially` the: width of thev firing opening, the declination of said. ledge and the inclination of said jet orifices being such. that fuel passing through and between the blasts of fluid under pressureissuing from said. orifices is freel'y movable forwardly' and downwardly along saidledge outside the zone -of action of'the said blasts of fluid under pressureand drops by gravity over the forward edgeof said ledge onto the grate at the rearward portion of the firebox adjacent said upri'ght Wall,.and a superimposed defiector member above said jetvvmember and in the path of fuel thrown upwardly therefrom. for distributing said fuel throughout'the firebox;

EDWIN ARCHER TURNER. 

